Door-operating mechanism

ABSTRACT

First and second fluid pressure operated means are provided for swinging a door open in opposite directions. There are means actuated by a person approaching the door from either direction for supplying pressure fluid at a predetermined rate to the fluid pressure operated means that will swing the door away from him. In case another person approaches the door from the direction toward which the door is opening, means are actuated by that person for reducing the opening speed of the door.

United States Patent Inventors DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,283,577 5/1942 Roby 49/326 X 2,911,210 11/1959 Ferguson 49/326X 3,195,879 7/1965 Bond et a1 49/264 X Primary Examiner-J. Karl Bell Attorney-Brown, Murray, Flick & Peckman ABSTRACT: First and second fluid pressure operated means are provided for swinging a door open in opposite directions.

7 Claims, 21 Drawing Figs. There are means actuated by a person approaching the door from either direction for supplying pressure fluid at a U.S. Cl predetermined rate to the fluid pressure opermed means that [m Cl E05 13/04 will swing the door away from him. In case another person ap- Eosf 15/0; preaches he door from he direction toward which the door is Field of Search 49/326 opening. means are actuated by that person for reducing the opening speed ofthe door. 264, 265

I. 1 our M47 PATENTED [R28 1971 SHEET 1 OF 9 PATENIEDnaczsmn 3629-0973 SHEET 2 BF 9 Pig. 4

INVENTORS. FRANK BOA 0 ROBERT/f. BOUCl/ERLE BY EVEQETT MENTZfR ATTORA/EVS.

PATENTED DEC28 Ian SHEET 6 BF 9 57 IIIH I PATENTEU DEC28 {9?2 3629973 SHEET 9 OF 9 INVENTORS. FRANK BOA/0 ROBfRT EOUCHERLE BY EVERETT MENTZER DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM Doors that open automatically as people approach them are well known. Some are controlled by electric eyes, but many are controlled by electric switches beneath mats over which approaching people must walk. When they step on such mats the switches are closed and the doors open away from them. In most cases the doors are arranged side by side in pairs, one door opening inwardly and the other outwardly. Although this greatly increases the cost and the space required for the doors, this arrangement has been felt necessary because of a safety problem encountered if a single door is used which swings open in either direction. It can be seen that if a door starts to open just as a person going in the opposite direction steps close to the door, he may be struck by the opening door and injured, or packages that he is carrying may be knocked out of his hands.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a door which will open automatically in either direction, which is safe, and which is operated by relatively simple and compact apparatus located principally in the header over the door.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of the outside of a building showing our door in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view, partly in section, of the door operating mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of FIG. 3, partly in section;

FIG. 6 is a view of the right hand end of the mechanism shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the manifold and valves;

FIG. 8 is an end view thereof;

FIG. 9 is a side view;

FIG. 10 is a diagram of the hydraulic circuit when the door is closed;

FIG. 11 is a similar diagram but with two of the valves positioned for rapid opening of the door;

FIG. 12 is a diagram with the valves positioned for slow opening of the door;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the limit switches operated by the door movements;

FIG. 14 is a vertical section taken on the line XIVXIV of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the cam ring shown in the preceding two figures;

FIG. 16 is a wiring diagram of the electrical circuit used with the door operating means;

FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 are end, plan and side views, respectively, of a modified manifold and its valves;

FIG. 20 is a plan view similar to FIG. 5 of a modification; and

FIG. 21 is a cross section taken on the line XXI-XXI of FIG. 20.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, a door frame, installed in an opening in a wall, has a hollow header 1 at its top and hollow vertical members 2 at its sides. Pivotally mounted or hinged in this frame is a door 3 that can be swung inwardly and outwardly from its central closed position. The hinge pivot (not shown) at the bottom of the door is mounted in a bearing in the floor in the usual way. The pivot or spindle 4 at the top of the door is rotatably mounted in bearings 5 and 6 secured to the top and bottom walls of a housing 7 that is rigidly mounted inside the header. The lower end of the spindle extends below the header and has a square portion that fits in a recess in a horizontal arm 9. The adjacent end of the arm is provided with a longitudinal slot 10 that receives a pin 11 projecting from a bar 12 rigidly fastened to the top of the door below the arm. A setscrew l3 threaded in the end of the arm engages the side ofthis pin. The other end of the am has four setscrews threaded in it. Two of these screws 14 extend out through a metal strip 15 secured along one side of the top of the door, and the other two screws 16 extend out through a similar strip 17 at the opposite side of the door. The screws are rotatable in the two strips but are not threaded in them. By tightening one pair of screws and loosening the other pair, the door can be adjusted around its pivotal axis to center the door in the doorway when closed.

Rigidly mounted on the upper spindle between its two bearings is a recessed rotatable bracket member 19 that carries vertical pins 20 at its opposite side on which the outer ends of a pair of links 21 are pivotally mounted, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. These links extend into a pair of parallel cylinders 22 and 23 (FIGS. 5 and 6) formed in housing 7 and are pivotally connected therein to pistons 24. The pistons are maintained substantially equidistant from the hinged side of the door by means of coil springs 25 compressed between the pistons and end members 26, which seal the outer ends of the cylinders except for inlet passages 27 that extend through those members. Inlet tubes 28 and 29 are connected to the outer ends of the passages. The wall of each cylinder is provided beside the spring therein with a pair of outlet passages 30 spaced axially of the cylinder and connected by a common passage 31 to a drain tube 32 or 33 extending away from the outer end of the cylinder. It will be seen that if fluid pressure is admitted to either of the cylinders through a passage 27 while the outlet passages of the other cylinder are open, the movement of the piston in the first cylinder will cause the door to swing open in one direction. If the other piston is actuated by fluid pressure, the door will open in the opposite direction.

In order to generate fluid pressure and control its admission to the cylinders, a motor driven pump 36, a tank 37, a manifold 38, normally closed solenoid valves, and a box 39 containing relays and the like are mounted in the door frame header as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The pump delivers fluid through a tube 40 to a passage 41 in the manifold shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, that has two pairs of branches. One pair of branches 42 lead to the inlets 43 of a pair of valves 44 and 45, the outlets 46 of which are connected to a pair of passages 47 that lead to the side of the manifold opposite the pump side. These two passages are connected by tubes 28 and 29 to the cylinder inlets. Therefore, when either of these normal-flow valves is opened, it will connect the pump with one of the cylinders. At the same time, a drain valve 48 or 49 mounted on the manifold will connect the outlet of the other cylinder to the tank 37 that supplies the pump. Passages 51 in the manifold connect drain tubes 32 and 33 to the inlets 52 of the drain valves. Their outlets 53 are connected to a common passage 54 that leads to a tube 55 connected to the tank.

Consequently, to open the door inwardly, normal-flow valve 44 and drain valve 48 are opened. To allow the door to close, the two valves just mentioned are closed and the other drain valve 49 is opened to allow fluid to escape from the pressurized cylinder. To swing the door outwardly, the other normal-flow valve and drain valve 49 are opened, and drain valve 48 is opened when valves 45 and 49 are closed so that the door can close again.

It is a feature of this invention that if a person starts through the door, such as going into the building, and another person then starts to go out, the inwardly opening door will slow down materially so as not to strike and injure the person headed outwardly. This slowing down is accomplished by two other valves 57 and 58 mounted on the manifold. The inlets 59 of these valves are connected with the second pair of branch passages 60 mentioned earlier, and their outlets 61 are connected with the passages 47 and tubes leading to the cylinders. However, the outlet passages 61 in the manifold are restricted relative to those leading from the normal-flow valves 44 and 45. Therefore, if the latter are closed and the restricted-flow valves are opened, the rate of delivery of pressure fluid to the cylinders will be reduced materially and the opening speed of the door will decrease accordingly.

In the diagram shown in FIG. 10, all of the valves are closed, so the door is closed. In FIG. 11 normal-flow valve 44 and drain valve 48 are open, so cylinder 22 has been pressurized and the door has been swung inwardly. The condition shown in FIG. 12 exists when someone starts out through the inwardly opening door before it has opened fully. In such a case valve 44 is closed and restricted-flow valve 57 has opened so that the rate of flow to cylinder 22 is reduced.

A wiring diagram for operating the pump and solenoid valves is shown in FIG. 16. The circuit is energized when either the IN-switch 65 or the OUT-switch 66 is closed. As is customary with electrically operated doors, these switches are placed beneath mats 67 and 68 (FIGS. 1 and 2) that depress and close the switches when the mats are stepped upon. The wires from the switches extend up through the door frame to the rest of the circuit. Thus, a person entering the building will step upon the IN mat 67 and thereby close switch 65 so that a relay A will be energized. The relay will open or close certain switches in the control box 39. The relay closes normally open switches A1 to AS and opens normally closed switches A6 and A7. Switch A1 starts the pump, switch A2 opens normal flow valve 44, and switch A3 opens drain valve 48 to produce the condition shown in FIG. 11. Switches A6 and A7, by opening, prevent drain valve 49 from being opened and a relay B from being energized if someone steps on the OUT mat. The closing of switches A4 and A5 has no effect at this time.

In the ordinary course of events the door will be swung rapidly inwardly to its fully opened position and will remain open while the entering person continues inwardly across the OUT mat. It remains open because when it is wide open it close a limit switch 71, and when the person steps from the IN mat to the OUT mat a relay C is energized that closes a switch C in series with the limit switch. This sets up a holding circuit for relay A so that opening of switch 65 will not cause that relay to become deenergized and allow the door to be closed by one of the coil springs. That does not occur until the entering person steps off the OUT mat. When he steps off the OUT mat, switch A6 closes again and, since a limit switch 72 was closed by the door as soon as it started to open and remains closed until the door closes again, drain valve 49 is opened to permit the door to close. When the door starts to close it opens limit switch 71, and when the door reaches closed position limit switch 72 opens.

ls a person is going out of a building instead of into it, the switch under the OUT mat is closed and that energizes relay B so that normally open switches B1 to B are closed and normally closed switches B6 and B7 are opened. The immediate result is that normal-flow valve 45 and drain valve 49 are opened and the door is swung outwardly. Limit switch 71 is closed by the open door, so a holding circuit for relay B is established as soon as the IN mat is steeped on because a relay D is energized that closes a switch D0 in the limit switch circuit.

Suppose that a person about to enter the building steps on the IN mat and starts the door swinging inwardly as previously described and then another person steps on the OUT mat. In such a case injury to the second person by the inwardly swinging door is avoided by automatically greatly reducing its opening speed. Thus, when the out-going person steps on the OUT mat he completes the circuit through closed switch A6 to relay C, which thereupon closes not only switch C0, but also switches C1 and C2 and opens a switch C3. The result is that norrnal-flow valve 44 is closed and restricted-flow valve 57 is opened so that fluid under pressure continues to be delivered to cylinder 22, but much more slowly than before. If the same situation happened when the OUT mat was stepped on first, relay D would be energized because the IN mat switch and switch B4 would be closed. Closing of relay D would close switches D1 and D2 in addition to switch DO, and would open a switch D3. This would close normal-flow valve 45 and open restricted-flow valve 58. When he steps off the IN mate, switch B6 closes again and energized solenoid drain valve 48 to open it because a limit switch 73 was closed by the opening door. Valve 48 permits the door to close.

The three limit switches 71, 72 and 73 are mounted on a plate 80 secured to the top of housing 7 and are actuated by a cam ring 81 rigidly mounted on the upper end of spindle 4. The actuating plungers of these push button switches normally project into recesses in the cam ring as shown in FIG. 13. When the door is swung inwardly the cam rings turns counterclockwise in FIGS. 5 and 13 and pushes the plungers of switches 71 and 72 out of their respective recesses 83 and 82. This closes switch 72 at once but switch 71 is the type that does not close until its plunger enters another recess 84 in the ring 90 from recess 82. Switch 72 remains closed until the door closes, but switch 71 opens as soon as its plunger is pushed out of recess 84. When the door is swung outwardly from closed position, switch 71 does not close until its plunger enters a ring recess 85 that is from recess 82, but switch 73 is closed as soon as its plunger is pushed out of recess 86. Recesses 83 and 86 are slots that extend at least 90 around the cam ring so that when either switch is closed, the other will remain open.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 of the drawings a housing 90, which can be mounted in the header of a door frame similarly to the one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is provided with a pair of parallel cylinders 91 and 92 that are closed at one end by the end wall of the housing itself. The opposite end of the cylinders is closed by end members 93 provided with axial fluid passages 94. Slidably mounted in each cylinder is a long piston 95 encircled near its opposite ends by piston rings 96. Between the rings the inner side of the piston is cut away to form a long recess 97, from the sidewall of which a row of rack teeth 98 projects toward the inner side of the cylinder. These teeth mesh with a gear 99 forming the central part of the upper spindle 100 for a door. The housing is provided with a vertical opening through it that receives the spindle, the upper and lower ends of which are mounted in bearings 101 secured to the and bottom of the housing. The two pistons normally are maintained directly opposite each other by means of coil springs 102 between the pistons and the end members 93. it will be seen that if either piston is moved toward the left, it will rotate the spindle gear, which in turn will move the other piston in the opposite direction to compress the spring engaging it. Passages 103 are formed in the partition wall between the two cylinders near its inner end so that they are always in communication with each other at that point.

Unlike in the first embodiment of the invention, the cylinders 91 and 92 do not have separate outlets. Instead, each end passage 94 serves as an outlet as well as an inlet. This means that when fluid under pressure flows inwardly through one of these passages, the fluid in the other cylinder flows outwardly through the other passage. This arrangement requires a different manifold and valve arrangement than the one first described. Referring to FIGS. 17, 18 and 19, the manifold block 105 is provided with a central passage 106 connected to a tube 107 that leads from a pump like the one in FIG. 10. This passage has a pair of branches 108 that lead to inlet ports 109 in a pair of normal-flow three-way solenoid valves I10 and 111 of conventional construction. From these two valves, combined inlet and outlet ports 112 lead to passages 113 that extend to tubes 114 and 115 connected to passages 94 of the two cylinders. The normal closed position of each of these valves is one in which communication between port 112 and an outlet port 116 that leads to an outlet passage [17 is open. This passage leads to the inlet 118 of a normally closed drain valve 119 or 120, the outlet 121 of which is connected to a passage 122 that leads to one of the tubes 123 or 124 which lead to the supply tank for the pump.

When the normal-flow valve 110, for example, is energized to connect its inlet 109 to passage 113, fluid under pressure is delivered through tube 114 to cylinder 91. At the same time, drain valve is opened so that fluid from the other cylinder can flow out through valve 111 and its outlet 116 and through the drain valve to tube 124 and the tank. Consequently, the piston in cylinder 91 is moved inwardly and the other one is moved outwardly and the door is swung inwardly. To close the door, the normal-flow valve 110 is returned to its normal closed position, drain valve 119 is opened and the other drain valve is closed. This releases the fluid pressure in cylinder 91 so that the spring in the other cylinder can return the pistons to their normal neutral position. If the door is to be swung outwardly, valve 111 is shifted and drain valve 119 is opened.

The inner end of the central passage 106 in the manifold is provided with a second pair of branch passages 126 connected with the inlets 127 of a pair of restricted-flow solenoid valves 128 and 129. The restricted outlet passages 130 from these valves are connected with passages 133 leading to the cylinders. In case a person steps on the OUT mat after another person has stepped on the IN mat and the door has started to swing inwardly, valve 110 is returned to its normal position and restricted-flow valve 128 is opened. Fluid pressure therefore continues to be delivered to cylinder 91, but at a reduced rate so that the door opens more slowly. The fluid entering restricted passage 130 cannot escape backward through passage 113 and valve 110 to the tank because drain valve 119 is closed. It will be obvious how the valves work if a person is going out through the opening door and someone starts to enter. Valve 111 will shift to normal position and valve 129 will open.

The electric circuit that controls the opening and closing of the valves for this modified embodiment of the invention is substantially the same as the one shown in FIG. 16.

We claim:

1. Door-operating mechanism comprising first fluid pressure operated means for swinging a door open in one direction, second fluid pressure operated means for swinging the door open in the opposite direction, means actuated by a person approaching the door from either of said directions for supplying pressure fluid at a predetermined rate to the said fluid pressure operated means that will swing the door away from him, and means actuated by a person approaching the door from the direction toward which the door is swinging open for reducing the opening speed of the door.

2. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 1, in which said fluid supplying means include a fluid passage, and said speed reducing means include a normally closed restricted passage and means for closing said first-mentioned passage and opening the restricted passage to reduce said predetermined rate of fluid supply.

3. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 1, in which said first and second fluid pressure operated means include a pair of parallel cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a rotatable member adapted to be attached to a door to turn it, means operatively connecting said pistons to said member for turning it in opposite directions, means for admitting said pressure fluid to said cylinders and a coil spring in each cylinder adapted to be compressed by the adjoining piston when fluid pressure is delivered to the cylinder containing the other piston.

4. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 1, in which said fluid supplying means include a source of pressure fluid, a separate normally closed normal-flow valve connected to said source and each of said fluid pressure operated means, a separate normally closed restricted-flow valve connected to said source and each of said fluid pressure operated means, a separate normally closed drain valve for each of said fluid pressure operated means, electric switches adapted to be closed by said persons stepping on them, and electric circuits connecting the closed switches with said valves for operating the valves.

5. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 4, in which said circuits include means for closing an open normalflow valve and simultaneously opening the associated restricted-flow valve.

6. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 1, in which said fluid supplying means include a source of pressure fluid, a separate normally closed drain valve for each of said fluid pressure operated means, a separate normal-flow threeway valve for each of said fluid pressure operated means, each three-way valve being connected to said source and to one of said dram valves, the connections between said source and said means normally being closed and the connections between said means and said closed drain valves normally being open, a separate normally closed restricted-flow valve connected to said source and each of said fluid pressure operated means, and manually operable electrical means for operating the valves.

7. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 6, in which said first and second fluid pressure operated means include a pair of parallel cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a rotatable member adapted to be attached to a door to turn it, and means operatively connecting said pistons to said member for turning it in opposite directions, each of the cylinders having a combined inlet and outlet port connected to one of said normal-flow valves and one of said restricted flow valves. 

1. Door-operating mechanism comprising first fluid pressure operated means for swinging a door open in one direction, second fluid pressure operated means for swinging the door open in the opposite direction, means actuated by a person approaching the door from either of said directions for supplying pressure fluid at a predetermined rate to the said fluid pressure operated means that will swing the door away from him, and means actuated by a person approaching the dOor from the direction toward which the door is swinging open for reducing the opening speed of the door.
 2. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 1, in which said fluid supplying means include a fluid passage, and said speed reducing means include a normally closed restricted passage and means for closing said first-mentioned passage and opening the restricted passage to reduce said predetermined rate of fluid supply.
 3. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 1, in which said first and second fluid pressure operated means include a pair of parallel cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a rotatable member adapted to be attached to a door to turn it, means operatively connecting said pistons to said member for turning it in opposite directions, means for admitting said pressure fluid to said cylinders and a coil spring in each cylinder adapted to be compressed by the adjoining piston when fluid pressure is delivered to the cylinder containing the other piston.
 4. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 1, in which said fluid supplying means include a source of pressure fluid, a separate normally closed normal-flow valve connected to said source and each of said fluid pressure operated means, a separate normally closed restricted-flow valve connected to said source and each of said fluid pressure operated means, a separate normally closed drain valve for each of said fluid pressure operated means, electric switches adapted to be closed by said persons stepping on them, and electric circuits connecting the closed switches with said valves for operating the valves.
 5. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 4, in which said circuits include means for closing an open normal-flow valve and simultaneously opening the associated restricted-flow valve.
 6. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 1, in which said fluid supplying means include a source of pressure fluid, a separate normally closed drain valve for each of said fluid pressure operated means, a separate normal-flow three-way valve for each of said fluid pressure operated means, each three-way valve being connected to said source and to one of said drain valves, the connections between said source and said means normally being closed and the connections between said means and said closed drain valves normally being open, a separate normally closed restricted-flow valve connected to said source and each of said fluid pressure operated means, and manually operable electrical means for operating the valves.
 7. Door-operating mechanism according to claim 6, in which said first and second fluid pressure operated means include a pair of parallel cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a rotatable member adapted to be attached to a door to turn it, and means operatively connecting said pistons to said member for turning it in opposite directions, each of the cylinders having a combined inlet and outlet port connected to one of said normal-flow valves and one of said restricted flow valves. 